A less than scientific survey from CouponCabin says that nearly 1/3 of respondents refuse to leave a tip if they receive below average service. The survey further claims that 20% of respondents only tip out of a sense of obligation. There were a few other juicy tidbits in the press release:
"When it comes to how much people tip in restaurants, many report leaving gratuity above the old standby of 15 percent. More than half (51 percent) said they typically tip 16 percent or higher for average service in a restaurant. Seven percent said they tip 21 percent or higher. On the flip side, nearly one-third (32 percent) said they tip between 11 percent and 15 percent for average service. Thirteen percent said they tip 10 percent or less for average service."
We have discussed tipping before, in particular tipping etiquette for to-go orders. Wading into the comments on that post, it's clear our readers have strong feelings about whether we should be tipping at all. Several of you pointed to Europe where tipping is not widespread because the cost of service is factored into the overall bill. Others defended tips on economic grounds or as an incentive for quality service. Some of you even suggested that a line item for a tip on a bill was equivalent to panhandling.
So what do you say, Chow Bella readers? Do these numbers sound right? How bad does service need to be before you leave no tip at all? How many of you agree with Mr. Pink's assessment of tipping in Reservoir Dogs?
